Skating rink



Aug. 13, 1935; F, s sTRlTE 2,010,832

SKATING RINK Filed Nov. '7, 1932 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 13, 1935. F. s. STRITE 2,010,832

SKATING RINK Filed Nov. 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheef. 2

Efi-Slfile Patent ed Aug. 13, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SKATING RINK Frank S. Strite, New York, N. Y.

Application November 7, 1932, Serial No. 641,649

19 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating devices and more particularly to a refrigerating means for use in the freezing of water or liquids positioned on a plane surface.

This invention is an improvement over the invention comprised in my co-pending application, Serial No. 568,189, filed on October 10, 1931.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved means for projecting a freezing medium against the rink surface so as to permit the more rapid freezing of water positioned on the upper surface of the rink.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a structure of this kind, means for oscillating the freezing medium during the projection of the medium against the rink.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of freezing a liquid so as to permit the more rapid freezing of the liquid.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:-

Figure 1 is a detail top plan view of a device constructed according to the preferred embodiment of this invention, with the ice supporting plate removed to show the means for freezing the. ice on top of the plate and showing in diagrammatic form a freezing system used with this construction.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section partly in detail taken substantially through the longitudinal center of the device.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation partly broken away and partly in section of the lateral spray nozzle supporting member. v

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail side elevation showing the manner of supporting one end of the slide member;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of plate used with this construction.

basin I2 by means of a plurality of jack members I4, which are threaded through nuts I3 secured to the plate I0. These jack members are constructed in the form of a screw having a base I5 mounted on the upper surface of the basin or floor I2, and the screw I4 is rotatably supported on this base I5 in a substantially vertical position, and the upper end of the screw or jack member I4 is provided with a head I6 which is engageable from above the plate I 0 so that the plate I0 may be adjusted relative to the basin or floor I2. This basin or floor I2 constitutes the bottom of a tank, generally designated as I1, which may be in the form of a swimming pool or other liquid reservoir.

In order to freeze a liquid in the form of water or the like on top of the plate I ll, I have provided a refrigerant system including a brine cooler I8 and a water filter I9, which are interposed in a conduit extending about the tank IT. This conduit 20 is also connected to a pair of longitudinally extending conduits or headers 2| positioned between the plate I0 and the bottom or basin I2. These headers 2| are connected to the conduit 20 by means of connecting pipes 22 or the like.

A circulating pump 23 is connected to a pipe 24 which in turn is connected to the water filter and to the brine cooler, and suitable valves may be interposed in the pipe 24 and the conduit 29 so that the conduit 20 can be provided with the desired cooling medium or, if desired, the brine cooler can be cut off or shunted so as to permit only the filtered water to pass through the conduit 20 as where the tank I! is to be used as a swimming pool or the like.

The basin or bottom I2 is provided with a drain 25 which communicates with the pipe 2% so that the liquid discharged from the headers 2I will fiow back to the brine cooler I8 under the action of the circulating pump 23. This pump 23 may be operated by any desired power member which, in the present instance, is shown as a motor 26, or the like. A plurality of parallel and laterally extending pipes 21 are disposed between the headers 2| in the desired spaced relation to each other, and these lateral pipes are connected at each end to the headers by means of connecting members 28 in the form of a flexible hose connection or the like.

While a flexible hose connection is shown, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction as, if desired, any other conventional connecting means permitting rocking or oscillatory movement of the lateral pipes 21 may be provided.

These lateral pipes 21 are provided at the de sired points therealong with vertically disposed spray nozzles 29 which are adapted to spray the brine or freezing medium against the lower surface of the plate I0.

In order to rock or oscillate the lateral pipe 2? and thereby oscillate the spray discharged from the spray nozzles 29, I have provided an elongated bar 30 in the form of a tubular member having a plurality of openings 3| therein to loosely receive a pin 32 depending from a T-connection 33 carried by the lateral pipes 21. The oscillating member 30 is mounted for sliding movement in bearings 34 which are mounted on the basin or bottom 82. A power member P is operatively connected to a drive shaft 35 which is journaled on bearings 36, and this drive shaft has a crank or eccentric 31 which is engaged by a pitman or connecting rod 38 which is in turn connected to one end of the oscillating member 30.

In addition to the bearing 34 mounted on the basin or bottom 12, I have provided tracks or plate members 39 which are mounted on the top of the basin floor i2, and wheels 40 are journaled in bearings 4| which are provided with threaded studs 42 threadably engaging the oscillating member 30. The desired number of wheels or castors 40 may be provided to oscillatably support the bar 30 beneath the lateral pipes 21.

In the use and operation of this device, the desired quantity of liquid in the form of water or the like, may be placed on the top of the plate ID or on the top of the plate II) where a corrugated plate structure is used. The desired valves in the conduit 20 may be opened so as to permit the brine in the cooler Hi to be forced in the conduit 20 by the circulating pump 23. The brine will then be discharged against the lower surface of the plate In, and the power member P operated to oscillate the spray discharged from the spray nozzles 29. The oscillating member 30 is adapted to be moved longitudinally of the tank I! for the desired distance so that the sprays from adjacent spray members 29 will substantially overlap each other, thereby eliminating any dead spots or portions of the plate In which will not be sprayed by the refrigerant discharged from the nozzles 29.

While I have shown the refrigerating system mounted in a tank or reservoir i1 and the spray nozzles 29 discharging the refrigerating medium or fluid against the bottom of the plate I0, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction and method of freezing, as the method of freezing liquid may be readily adapted for other constructions where it is desired to freeze liquids or cool the desired articles.

The refrigerant system herein disclosed is only diagrammatic and it is, therefore, believed that further description of the system is unnecessary.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:-

l. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a liquid holding member, means for projecting the brine upwardly against the member, means for rocking the projecting means to discharge the brine over a relatively wide area and means for adjustably supporting the member relative to the projecting means.

2. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a liquid holding member, means for projecting the brine against the member, means for moving said projecting means to discharge the brine against the member over an area greater than the area covered by the brine at the point of contact of the stream with the member, and means for adjustably supporting the member relative to the projecting means.

3. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a liquid holding member, means for projecting the brine against the member, a reciprocating means engaging the brine projecting means for oscillating said projecting means to discharge the brine against the member over an area greater than the area covered by the brine at the point of contact of the stream with the member, and means for supporting the member relative to the projecting means.

4. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a basin, a member supported above the basin and adapted to receive a liquid member for cooling, means for supporting the first member above the basin, a plurality of nozzles disposed between the basin and the first member for projecting a stream of cooled brine against the bottom of the first member, and means for swinging the nozzles simultaneous with the projection of a stream of brine therefrom.

5. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a plurality of nozzles connected to the brine cooling means, a member supported above the nozzles for cooling by the brine projected from the nozzles, means for supporting the member relative to the nozzles and means for rocking the nozzles to discharge the brine against the member over an area greater than the area covered by the brine at'the point of contact of the stream with the member.

6. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a plurality of nozzles, a member supported above the nozzles for cooling by the brine discharged from the nozzles, means for supporting the member relative to the nozzles, a slide member operatively engaged with the nozzles, and means for reciprocating said slide member to rock the nozzles simultaneous with the projection of the cooling brine from the nozzles.

7. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a horizontally disposed member adapted to hold a liquid, a catch basin disposed below the member, a nozzle, means for supporting the member relative to the nozzle, means connecting the nozzle with the brine cooling means, means for supporting said connecting means for oscillatory movement, and means for oscillating said connecting means to swing said nozzles over a predetermined arc.

8. A freezing means comprising a brine cooling means, a catch basin, a member supported above the basin and adapted to hold a liquid, means adjustable from above for supporting the member above the basin, a conduit disposed between the basin and the member and connected to the brine cooling means, a plurality of parallel pipes connected to the conduit and extending at substantially right angles thereto, means for connecting the pipes to the conduit for rocking movement, nozzles carried by said pipes, and means for rocking the pipes and the nozzles simultaneous with the projection of the cooling brine from the nozzles against the member in a manner to cover the entire surface of the member.

9. The method of freezing a liquid comprising the projecting within a confined space of cooling means having a temperature less than freezing against a stationary member to be cooled, and rocking the projecting means.

10. The method of freezing a liquid comprising the projection within a confined space of a stream of cooling fluid having a temperature less than freezing against a stationary member and simultaneously swinging said stream.

11. A freezing means comprising a liquid holding member, spray nozzles adapted to be connected to a cooling system and disposed in a position for discharge of a cooling medium against said member, and means for rocking said nozzles to discharge the cooling medium against an area on the member greater than the diameter of the cooling medium at the point of contact with the member.

12. A refrigerating means comprising a liquid holding member, spray members, means for connecting the spray members to a cooling means under pressure, and means for rocking the memers during the discharge of the cooling means.

13. A device as described comprising a horizontally disposed liquid holding member, a catch basin below the member, means for supporting the member relative to the basin, projecting means between the member and the basin for projecting a scaling medium against the lower surface of the member, and means for rocking said projecting means.

14. A device as described comprising a liquid holding member, a projecting means disposed in spaced relation to the liquid holding member and adapted to project a cooling medium against said member, means for rocking said projecting means, and means for collecting the cooling means after discharge thereof against said liquid holding member.

15. A refrigerating means comprising a liquid holding member, a catch basin below the member, supporting means for supporting said member in adjusted position relative to the catch basin, said supporting means being operable from above the member, means for projecting a cooling medium against said liquid holding member, and means for rocking said projecting means during the discharge of a cooling liquid against the liquid holding member.

16. A device as described comprising a liquid holding member, a catch basin disposed below the member, means operable fromabove the member and extending therethrough for supporting the member in adjusted position relative to the catch basin, means between the member and the catch basin for freezing a liquid carried by the member, and means for oscillating said freezing means.

17. A device as described comprising a liquid holding member, a catch basin disposed below the member, threaded supporting members engaging the liquid holding member and the basin to support the member in adjusted position relative to the basin, means disposed between the member and the basin for freezing a liquid carried by the member, and means for moving said freezing means over a predetermined area during the freezing operation.

18. A refrigerating means comprising a member constructed to hold an article for cooling, a catch basin below the member, supporting means for supporting said member in adjusted position relative to the catch basin, said supporting means being operable from above the member, means for projecting a cooling medium against said liquid holding member, and means for rocking said projecting means during the discharge of a cooling liquid against the liquid holding member.

19. A refrigerating means comprising a member constructed to hold an article for cooling, a catch basin disposed below the member, means operable from above the member and extending therethrough for supporting the member in adjusted position relative to the catch basin, means between the member and the catch basin for projecting a freezing medium against the member, means for oscillating said freezing means and means for returning the freezing medium to the second named means.

FRANK S. STRITE. 

